title: Non-mammalian "big" neurophysins--complete amino acid sequence of a two-domain MSEL-neurophysin from goose.
abstract: Vasotocin-associated neurophysin (MSEL-neurophysin) has been purified from goose neurohypophysis through molecular sieving and high-pressure reverse-phase liquid chromatography (HPLC). The protein has a molecular mass (measured by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) of 17 kDa in contrast to 10 kDa found for the mammalian MSEL-neurophysins. Complete amino acid sequence (131 residues) has been determined mainly through tryptic or staphylococcal proteinase peptides derived from carboxyamidomethylated neurophysin, isolated by HPLC and microsequenced. N- and C-terminal sequences have been established by Edman degradation or action of carboxypeptidase Y, respectively, applied on the native protein. Goose MSEL-neurophysin is homologous to the two-domain "big" MSEL-neurophysin previously identified in the frog. It appears that in non-mammalian tetrapods, namely birds and amphibians, the proteolytic processing of the pro-vasotocin involves only one cleavage, releasing the hormone moiety and a "big" neurophysin with two domains homologous to mammalian MSEL-neurophysin and copeptin, respectively. Comparison of the avian protein with its mammalian and amphibian counterparts reveals that the first half of the polypeptide chain is evolutionarily much less variable than the second and that the goose protein resembles the frog protein much more than the mammalian one.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, University of Paris VI, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lévy
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Chauvet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chauvet
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Acher
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000663:Amphibians; D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002417:Cattle; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005777:Geese; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009481:Neurophysins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010121:Oxytocin; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D010904:Pituitary Gland, Posterior / Q000737:chemistry; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D009481:Neurophysins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D010121:Oxytocin